Of Pirates and Demon Foxes
by Kurai Tora
Summary: Based off the 2005 King Kong. Naruto, an infamous pirate, hears rumors of a treasure with a special requirement and takes upon the challenge. But will the Bijuu Island be more than he can chew?
1. Chapter 1

Namikaze Naruto, a name that was feared by many who sailed the seas and heard about his infamy. Like the breath of the Reaper, he butchered his way through lines upon lines of enemies, and his crew was equally cruel. Any targeted ships ended up at the bottom of the ocean and any bounty hunter that came after his head ended meeting their maker. Few could stay near him for long before he lashed out and even fewer had ever seen his softer side, as most people only met his thorny shell crafted to defend his mind from the horrors of life.

Naruto was sitting at a shady bar as he heard an old sailor drone on about his past travels. The man had taught him how to tame the seas and to defeat any marine that tried to capture him. At a certain point, he grabbed the man by the shirt. "Repeat what you just said Jiraiya." The elder sweated a bit at the sight of a sword close to his neck. "And I want the truth, so don't try to spin lies." Jiraiya gulped and racked his memory for the information. "I once went to a mysterious island, with a bizarre terrain. Many of my crew were killed by monsters, but the ones who survived found a ruin with interesting writings." He pulled a few papers from his ratty pouch. "Here, some of my notes on what I saw."

The blonde had stormed into his ship, demanding to see his personal decoder and translator. "Shikamaru! Come here you lazy deer!" The brunet rose a little from his nest on the piles of ropes. "What do you want captain?" He got a handful of papers shoved on his face. "Geez, no need to be so rough..." He would have snarked more, but a poisonous glare shut him up. _'Troublesome...'_ He skimmed over the scrawled writings and went to his quarters to get a better look at them. Naruto waited for results by indulging on his personal vice, poker, wiping clean the pockets of any chumps he managed to bait. It took a few weeks until the man came with results, and right on time, as if he had been any later he would have gotten a nice hole between his eyes.

According to the translation done by Shikamaru, the ancient writings were about an untold treasure that had been hidden for a long time, but the only way to access it was through a person with an uncorrupted heart, or else something tragic would befall the offenders. Well, he wasn't the kind of person to leave things to chance like in his past, but he did take the time to trace a possible route to the island described that was as safe as it could be, staying away from routes used by the navy. _'Bijuu Island..._ _'_ He recalled faint memories of his father as he told him his tales, giving out a dry chuckle. _'I'll succeed where you failed.'_

The captain was watching as his ship was tended by the crew. "Hey." The blond turned to face his second mate, Sasuke. "What do you want?" The raven haired one had a sneer. "Spar with me. Or are you rusted?" It did it, he leapt at the Uchiha and they engaged in a brawl, that wrecked the pier they stood on, leading to their fall on the water. "Let me go, mangy mutt!" Like in their many past fights, they drew blood and created several bruises on their foe. "Only if you yeld, son of a marine!" They got fished out by their crew and their medic, Sakura, separated them though a punch to each head. "Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!"

* * *

Naruto thought about the notes written by Shikamaru. _'Someone with a pure heart, uh?'_ His heart was anything but pure, having been dyed black through years of pillaging and murders. He had to find someone who fit the criteria, but where? He was in a disguise to be able to attend the festival of some kingdom that he cared little for, lest he got his head lopped off. He glanced at the partying people, focusing on the women. _'Man... the last time was three months ago...'_ A commotion attracted his attention and he got slightly curious. Using some of the buildings to get a better view, he saw the source, a woman that radiated an aura of innocence and infatuated the crowd with her charm.

He stalked the female until she got alone in her quarters in the castle, apparently she was a princess, but he gave two shits about that. He sneaked to a vantage point, readying the sleeping liquid crafted by his medic. His chance came shortly, he swooped in and held the drugged cloth to her face and mouth, holding her to prevent a struggle and alerting any guards that could be near. He smirked when she went limp on his hold, hoisting her over his shoulder and leaving the area. Using his street smarts, he managed to get to his ship undetected. Ignoring the quizzical looks of the crew, he went to the lower parts and threw the knocked out woman in one of the containment cells.

He barked orders for hauling the anchors and unfurling the sails, kicking off his journey towards Bijuu Island, the treasures hidden there had his name on them. He had both the map and the ticket to find the promised riches, and absolutely nothing would stand on his way!

* * *

There was a strange rocking motion, like the one that could be experienced by riding on a boat, but she had no memory of getting on one... Hinata jolted from her position on the floor, noting that she was in a dank and tiny room made with crude planks and there was the smell of salt. She then recalled the last few moments before she was knocked out, there had been a heavy sound of someone landing and a pair of strong arms had held her to shove a cloth on her face. Her mind drew the obvious conclusion, she got kidnapped for some reason, and the ones she thought of were not pleasant in the slightest. A crippling fear overtook her at the thought of her fate.

Since she woke up, she had taken the time to examine her prison, noticing that it had many bloodied chains and dark splotches on the walls, she knew what it meant - the aftermath of a grueling torture session. There was also a dirty sheet that reeked and some filthy bowls, lit up by a pitiful oil lamp. She wondered when someone would come to check on her, the isolation grated on her already abused nerves.

She heard heavy steps coming closer to her location and she tensed up. Soon the face of a blond man came into sight, holding a stronger lamp. He was somewhat handsome, but had a fierce scowl and several scars on his face. He smirked at her look of fear and crouched in front of her. "Don't worry, you're going to be more useful alive." She backed to a corner when he opened the door and entered the room, getting close to her. "What a waste - he grabbed her chin roughly - you look like a tasty morsel, but I can't take any chances about your kind of purity." He licked his lips. "Maybe after you find the treasure for me..." He left, making her feel even more temerous of what was to come.

* * *

Naruto clenched his fist once he was in his quarters, still feeling the softness of his newest prisoner. "Shit!" He caught himself mellowing, something that was strictly forbidden! He steeled his heart, he couldn't be swayed by those innocent eyes. And she was a royal, the same as those filth who ordered the hanging of both his parents. Blood dripped from his hand, showing how hard was his grip so he wouldn't slip. _'She is a tool, and I'll toss her aside after she becomes useless.'_ Still, he felt that deep down, he'd end up eating those words.


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata had fallen into a nightmarish sleep, barely getting any rest from it, as her mind kept conjuring many scenarios for what the cruel captain had reserved for her. She had cried until exhaustion, missing her family. She was woken up with a person beating the metal bars with a tin can. Now, she was facing a woman around her age, with cropped pink hair and a glare directed at her. "Here - she put the can on a gap, along with some kind of biscuits- the captain wants you alive." She left, the food sitting there. Hinata couldn't be picky in her situation, so she had to suck it up and eat the rock-hard biscuits and forced herself to drink the water mixed with vinegar, cringing at the taste and gagging at the sight of bugs. She mused about her situation, ship travels could last almost full years without seeing land.

* * *

Naruto was overseeing the crew as they worked around the clock, barely resting between shifts. They had to make good time with the windy season. _'Father... I wish that you were here.'_ The route was mostly secure and it passed by some currents used by tunas and cods, which would provide sustainment for the next months if they got a good haul. Shikamaru kept track of the path already traversed, warning him if they were close to one of the mentioned currents. When he shifted from helm with Konohamaru, he went to the lower deck to rest. On his way there, he passed by the cell holding the woman. _'Hmm?'_ He heald a faint cry and saw the bluenette with tears. His hand gripped his chest, feeling a sharp needle strike him. He bolted towards his quarters, locking the door and slumping on his chair, not even bothering to turn on the lamp, gripping his head. "Fucking HELL!" He breathed hard, with a scowl marring his face. _'I absolutely CAN'T fall in love!'_

He focused on his more traumatic memories to wipe these feelings. **Watching as his parents were led to the platform by some knights, chained like a rabid bear. Both were serene and he was far from them, held back by his godfather. Then, the lever was pulled, sealing their fate.** He held back his tears, forcing another memory up. **"Hey brat, I had a debt with your father, but you will serve nicely!" A man with a bandanna approached him with a knife, pinning him down and proceeding to carve on his face. "Now you look like you should, a freak!" The boy was left bleeding and injured, as the man vented some of his frustrations on his body.** He growled in rage and recalled when he slowly and torturously gutted the same man when he got stronger, being his first ever kill. He breathed out and pulled a bottle of hard liquor, deciding to relax for the night.

* * *

The crew was working around the clock to keep the ship going at a steady pace, doing all they could to catch the wind and keep the vessel from slowing. Shikamaru was at the crow nest, watching the horizon for any signs of rock banks or any other hazards, keeping also an eye for land. Sasuke and Konohamaru were throwing orders for their subordinates and not letting them rest more than the necessary. Sakura kept examining anyone who showed signs of weakness, searching for ailments so as to keep the mortality at a minimum. Then everybody heard a scream from under, recognizing their captain's voice, but they were used to his lapses of anger.

It was time for one of the diary meals, the hustling stopping for the meanwhile. It was the usual, a shallow gruel from mixed grains and a serving of fish soup with some beverage of their preference. Although they had better ways of stocking food, they still couldn't deal fully with the pests, so sometimes a bug would pop up from the plates. Sakura was tasked with the job of feeding the prisoner, taking the least she could without angering the captain. She didn't see how the woman would deserve better treatment.

* * *

Hinata looked up from her position when she heard steps, seeing the pinkette again. The woman had a sneer directed at her and she braced for the possible violence. The food was set aside and she got slammed to the wall, with a hand choking her. "Hey, you fucking noble, did you think that you would be treated like a princess?" She was thrown to the grates, bruising her body further, and received a few punches. "Your kind disgusts me, scum." She felt a foot on her hand and couldn't help but to scream, feeling the bones crack under pressure.

The door was kicked open and her opressor was suddenly thrown off her. "Pull this shit again and I'll kill you." It was the scarred blond, who had an expression that was simply frightening. Sakura had never seen her captain like this and she was terrified, as he had her by the throat on the air, gripping harder by the second. "Un... ders-tood..." He let her go and she began coughing and rubbing her neck. He threw a last glance at the bluenette and left without a word. Hinata was even more scared now, if he treated his own crew like this, what would he do to her once her use ran out?

* * *

Naruto was punching the support beams, angry at himself for faltering on his promise. _'What does she have to make me like this?'_ He looked at the ceiling, lost in thoughts. _'Did you feel this with mother... Father?'_ He groaned and decided that he needed sleep, but his body betrayed him by making him wide awake. "For fucks sake..." He picked one of the cannonballs laying around, thinking that some workout would tire him out. _'What's her name?'_ His eyes widened at this thought. "She is just a tool... nothing more..." Somehow, this sounded like the largest bullshit he ever heard.


End file.
